Clashes Erupt During MCD Demolition Drive Near Turkman Gate Mosque in Central Delhi Following High Court Order

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The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out a demolition drive in the early hours of Wednesday, 7 January 2026, near the century-old mosque Faiz-e-Ilahi Masjid in the Turkman Gate area of Central Delhi. It is located in the Old Delhi, near CP. The anti-encroachment drive turned tense as people resisted the demolition through protests that later turned violent, following which the police attempted to control the situation by using tear gas.

The Delhi High Court had issued a notice to the Ministry of Urban Development, the MCD and the Delhi Waqf Board on 6 January 2026, leading up to the demolition. Around 17 bulldozers, along with civic staff and Delhi Police personnel, were deployed for the operation. The court observed that the “matter requires consideration” and directed all parties to file their responses within four weeks. The Delhi High Court has scheduled the next hearing in the case for 22 April 2026.

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Civic authorities conducted the operation, describing the land adjoining the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque and nearby areas close to Ramlila Ground as unauthorised structures. MCD officials clarified that the action was taken in accordance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court regarding encroachments at Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate. The drive was said to be part of the MCD’s broader city-wide anti-encroachment campaign.

The demolition led to the gathering of a large group of local residents who protested against the action, raising slogans outside the mosque. Some of them reportedly began pelting stones at security personnel, escalating the situation. The situation was brought under control to prevent further violence through the firing of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, as adequate force had been deployed in anticipation of resistance. Delhi Police further stated that five police personnel were injured in the incident, with no major civilian injuries reported.

DCP Nidhin Valsan told ANI, “Stones were pelted at the police at night. We used minimal force to push back. Apart from that, the overall process was very smooth. As soon as we get the CCTV footage, ground footage and body camera footage, we will identify the miscreants and take legal action.”

The site was under legal proceedings, but the demolition was carried out nonetheless. A petition had been filed by the managing committee of Masjid Syed Faiz Elahi, challenging the MCD’s decision to remove alleged encroachments from land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard at Ramlila Maidan. The petition challenges the 22 December 2025 order, which held that all structures beyond 0.195 acres of land were liable to be demolished, citing the absence of documents proving ownership or lawful possession of the land by the mosque’s managing committee or the Delhi Waqf Board.

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Earlier, on 12 November 2025, a division bench of the Delhi High Court had granted three months to the MCD and the Public Works Department (PWD) to carry out the removal of 38,940 square feet of encroachments at Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate. The structures covered under the order included portions of a road, footpath, a baraat ghar, a parking area and a private diagnostic centre. The order was passed during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Save India Foundation, represented by advocate Umesh Chandra Sharma.

The managing committee of the mosque has stated that the land is waqf property, as notified under the Waqf Act. It further argued that the authority to settle any disputes related to the land lies solely with the Waqf Tribunal. The committee also highlighted that it has been paying lease rent to the Delhi Waqf Board, which, it claims, grants it lawful rights to use the property. The committee added that the petitioner’s primary grievance relates to the graveyard functioning on the land.

The matter will be discussed again in the High Court after the concerned authorities file their replies, with the next hearing scheduled for 22 April 2026.

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